Happy March everyone!   We are nearing the end of this wonderful piece of Disney history.  We continue to enjoy your thoughtful feedback–keep it coming!  And stay tuned for an announcement about our NEXT book club selection.  You WON’T want to miss the fun we have in store!

Zorro at Disneyland

Pg. 298 How would you feel about Walt Disney World “special appearance days”? We have in park meet and greet, but what about the live characters from Disney channel?

Pg. 302 When Guy Williams says, “…type casting buys a lot of groceries” do you think he regretted his role?  Even a little?

Tom Sawyer Island

Pg. 305 Do you think Tom Sawyer Island in Disneyland should have changed to Pirate’s Lair? Why or why not?

Pg. 305 Will you look at Tom Sawyer Island at WDW differently knowing that Walt personally designed the DL version? Do you feel you are seeing it through Walt’s eyes?

Pg. 305 How might it have changed the park to have the Mickey Mouse Club presented from inside the park?  In your opinion, should a show be presented from the park?

Epcot Fountain

Pg. 317 The Fountain of Nations, The Fountain of World Friendship, The CommuniCore Fountain, Innoventions Fountain… what do you call the fountain?

Pg. 318 Did you link the “International Ceremony of the Waters” to the dedication of it’s a small world?

Pg. 319 What do you think Card Walker meant when he said, “Well, we’ve done it.” to Lillian Disney?

Captain EO

Pg. 325 Were you surprised at Michael Jackson’s affection/obsession with Walt Disney?

Pg. 326 Do you think Disney could have done a successful dark ride with Michael Jackson as the main character?

Pg. 332 Were you surprised at how many struggles there were to make Captain EO given how over budget it had gone?

Mickey Mouse Revue

Pg. 341 Once again, Walt foreshadows an attraction that Imagineers bring to fruition after Walt’s untimely passing.  Do you think that these are homages to Walt, or genuinely good ideas?

Pg. 344 Bill Justice said that, “… we seemed to be getting away from our heritage” and “What we needed was a reminder of what Walt had accomplished.”  Do you think refocus was necessary and, if so, do you believe it was achieved with the Mickey Mouse Revue?

Pg. 346 As the first attraction removed from the Magic Kingdom, do you believe that the primary reason for sending the Mickey Mouse Revue to Tokyo Disneyland was the time… or the money?

Liz Driscoll went to Walt Disney World for the first time when she was five years old, though her Disney passion began seven years ago.  She has visited Walt Disney World about twelve times in the past seven years.  In the non-Disney world, she is a teacher who enjoys bringing a little bit of pixie dust in the classroom each day!

The post WDW Radio Disney Book Club: Vault of Walt Week 6 appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Hi everyone!  Hope you are continuing to enjoy the book–it’s hard to believe we are more than half-way done!!  Watch the blog, as we will very soon be announcing some big news about our next book club selection!

In the meantime, please enjoy this week’s discussion questions!

Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel

Pg. 233 A podcaster that has Jim on to tell the stories “only Jim Korkis knows”… hmm J

Pg. 247 When did you first hear about the “Cinderella Horse”? When did you learn of the inaccuracy?

Circarama 1955

Pg. 261 When you think of “Circarama” – “America the Beautiful”, “American Journeys”, “Wonders of China” – do you think they are still technologically appropriate?

The Story of Storybook Land

Pg. 265 Did you do a little chuckle at “The Mud Bank Ride”?

Pg. 266 Madurodam, another miniatures reference! Do you think the miniature theme works in Storybookland?  Would you rather see this full size?

Pg. 267 ‘aging’ the copper! OH MY! Can you look at the roofs the same way again?

Pg. 269 Did you know that DLR had both Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty castles?

Liberty Street 1959

Pg. 278-279 Which current attractions do you think about when you read about Walt’s visions for, “Lincoln stands up and begins to talk” or cannons firing and “It was smell-o-vision!”

Pg. 282 When you visit the parks, what do you notice as you visit that reflects Walt’s vision for a memorial to the freedoms that make the American way of life possible?

Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk Through

Pg. 285 Reading through the many choices for castle names, what name, other than Sleeping Beauty, would you have chosen?

Pg. 289 Do you notice the lighted burning fire and “Pepper’s Ghost” effect more at other attractions after you are read about the development and use of the techniques in the parks?

Pg. 292 Did you realize that the castle was named Sleeping Beauty four years before the film came out? Do you think that helped the movie?

Liz Driscoll went to Walt Disney World for the first time when she was five years old, though her Disney passion began seven years ago.  She has visited Walt Disney World about twelve times in the past seven years.  In the non-Disney world, she is a teacher who enjoys bringing a little bit of pixie dust in the classroom each day!

The post WDW Radio Disney Book Club: Vault of Walt Discussion Questions Week 5 appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Welcome back, our wonderful readers!  Thanks for such thoughtful answers to last week’s questions!  Jim Korkis himself is following along and has posted in the blog comments–so be sure to check back often and see what others–including the author himself!–have to say!  And, as always, feel free to answer as many or as few of this week’s questions as you like–but most of all, enjoy the camaraderie!

Without further ado… here are the questions for this week!  Happy reading!!

Gospel According to Walt

Question 1: When you look at the Norway Pavilion Stave Church and the Morocco Pavilion, do you see them as religious buildings or solely as architectural examples?

Question 2: Pg. 61 Reading Walt’s essay “My Faith”, “All prayer… has one thing in common, as I see it: a supplication for strength and inspiration to carry on the best human impulses which should bind us all together for a better world.”  How do you think prayer in Walt’s life influenced the parks as we see them today?

Walt and DeMolay

Question 3: Pg. 67 When you read about DeMolay what other organizations does it make you think of that foster leadership today?

Question 4: Do you think that Disney internships and college programs are examples of fostering leadership?

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Question 5: Pg. 78 Walt said that his paper route helped him learn about responsibility, respect, and customer satisfaction.  He also thought it could benefit other boys IF “he is not too young and the task is not too burdensome”

Question 6: Do you think Walt was referring to his own route at age nine when he mentioned the work being burdensome?

Question 7: How much of Elias’ insistence on quality of delivery crossed over into Walt’s plans for Disneyland and Walt Disney World?

Return to Marceline 1956

Question 8: Pg. 88 Did you find it amusing or odd that the children of Marceline sang “The Mickey Mouse Club Song” as the show was not televised in their town?

Question 9: Pg. 90 Do you see a place for “Walt’s Boyhood Farm” in the Disney parks today?  In what park would you place the farm?

Question 10: Pg. 90 Why do you think Walt so wanted the replica of the Marceline barn in his backyard?

Walt’s 30^th Wedding Anniversary

Question 11: What event would you like to throw if you could have the Mark Twain Riverboat and Golden Horseshoe Saloon as your party venue?

Question 12: Diane talks about how much Walt enjoyed that night.  If you were there, what would you have said to Walt about his anniversary and his park?

Liz Driscoll went to Walt Disney World for the first time when she was five years old, though her Disney passion began seven years ago.  She has visited Walt Disney World about twelve times in the past seven years.  In the non-Disney world, she is a teacher who enjoys bringing a little bit of pixie dust in the classroom each day!

The post WDW Radio Disney Book Club: “The Vault of Walt” by Jim Korkis Questions – Week 2 appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Hello and welcome to The WDW Radio Show – Your Walt Disney World Information Station. I am your host, Lou Mongello, and this is show #190 for the week of October 3, 2010.

Disney historian, author and former Cast Member Jim Korkis has just released his first book – The Vault of Walt, and he joins me this week to discuss his history with Disney, as well as how the book came to be, and some of the stories about Walt Disney, the films, theme park attractions and more.

I’ll have a few announcements and then play more of your voicemails at the end of the show. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s episode of the WDW Radio Show.

You can email the show at lou@wdwradio.com or call the voicemail TOLL FREE at 888-703-2171.

Thanks for listening! Be sure to tune in next week!

Information and Links from this Week’s Show

Listen to the full, unedited interview with Jim Korkis below. Jim discusses his personal stories and background, how he became an animation and Disney historian, working for the Disney Company and so much more

Purchase The Vault of Walt by Jim Korkis on Amazon.com

WDW Radio Cruise on the Disney Dream Logo Gear at Cafepress

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel is offering guests a chance to indulge at the first annual Food & Wine Classic at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Oct. 8 and 9. More information

DisneyMeets.com – Join us for Disney fan gatherings and WDW Radio Meets of the Month in Walt Disney World, including D23’s Destination D meets in Disneyland, Congaloosh, the Food & Wine Walkabout & more! Get dates and locations here!

The post Show # 190 – October 3, 2010 appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.